CTNF 18/785,383 CTNF 81433 Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA. Election/Restrictions 08-25 AIA Applicant's election with traverse of the restriction requirement in the reply filed on 4/6/2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that the shared technical feature was not identified correctly in the restriction requirement and further the applied reference fails to teach or disclose this feature . This is not found persuasive because Applicant’s claims regarding the shared technical feature being the common mounting region is quite vague in its recitation in the claim in that it is not apparent that anything is even attached to it. In other words, the common mounting region is recited in claim 1 but the electronic key or mechanical key are not required to be part of the claim, the mounting region is merely adapted to allow for attachment of one of these keys. Therefore, the features regarding the common mounting region are not equivalent in independent claims 1 and 15. In claim 15 there exists further claim features supporting the details of the common mounting region that are not in claim 1. Further, the inventions have acquired separate statuses in the art in view of their different statutory categories; the inventions have acquired separate statuses in the art due to their recognized divergent subject matter; the inventions require a different field of search (e.g., searching different classes/subclasses or electronic resources, or employing different search strategies or search queries; the prior art applicable to one invention would likely not be applicable to another invention; and/or the inventions are likely to raise different non-prior art issues (i.e., under 35 U.S.C. § 101 and/or 112), which are not addressed by Applicant . The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL. 08-05 AIA Claim s 15-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected group , there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on 4/6/2026 . Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112 07-30-02 AIA The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b): (b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention. The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA), second paragraph: The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention. 07-34-01 Claims 5-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. Claims 5-9 recite features of an electronic key applied concurrently to a mechanical key because the electronic key is recited in claim 5 and the mechanical key is recited in claim 2 (claim 5 depends from claim 2, and claims 6-9 depend from claim 5). How is it possible to include both types of keys in the same location? Based on the disclosure, it seems that only one or the other is applied at a time. The language of claims 5-9 are not supported by the disclosure. Clarification is requested. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 07-06 AIA 15-10-15 In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status. 07-07-aia AIA 07-07 The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action: A person shall be entitled to a patent unless – 07-08-aia AIA (a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention. 07-15 AIA Claim s 1-4 and 10-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102( a)(1 ) as being anticipated by JP H11 495A herein referred to as “JP” (document and translation attached) . As to claim 1, JP discloses a washing machine comprising: a door through which laundry is loaded in or drawn out; a drum configured to receive the laundry; a motor rotating the drum configured to perform a wash of the laundry (Fig. 12 and claim 1: washing machine has a lid 12 with access to a washing tub 3 and motor 6); a user interface panel configured to provide information relating to washing of the laundry and to receive a user input (Fig. 12 is a washing machine with a control device; paras 36-38: operation display panel 14 is mounted on a printed wiring board 24 even when connector 31b (which is a jumper) is present); a processor configured to drive the motor or control the motor to perform the wash based on the user input (control means 15); wherein the user interface panel includes a printed circuit board (PCB) (printed wiring board 24) comprising: a common mounting region allowing an electronic key or a mechanical key for input interface to be mounted thereon (Based on this claim language, the features of an electronic key and mechanical key are not positively recited in the claim. The claims appear to allow for each of these keys to be mounted thereon but does not require the presence of one of these keys. Nonetheless, a key is disclosed by JP by its disclosure of a first connector 29 (reads on a start-stop key) that is attached to the printed wiring board via screw 33); and a first jumper connecting the common mounting region to ground (a plurality of connectors 31a, b, c connect to first connector 29 (connectors 31a, b, c read on a jumper)), and wherein the common mounting region comprises a plurality of conductive planes (the connection points to which terminals 29a, b, c, d are connected read on the plurality of conductive planes). As to claim 2, JP discloses wherein the plurality of conductive planes are configured to be coupled to a plurality of terminals of the mechanical key, and wherein the first jumper is short-circuited when the mechanical key is mounted in the common mounting region (the plurality of connectors 31 are short-circuit a part of the connectors 29). As to claim 3, JP discloses wherein the first jumper is opened when the electronic key is mounted in the common mounting region (when an electronic key is mounted thereon and a user presses the corresponding button, then the connection between connectors 31 and connectors 29 occurs). As to claim 4, JP discloses wherein the first jumper is opened or short-circuited when the electronic key is mounted in the common mounting region and does not contact the plurality of conductive planes (when an electronic key is mounted thereon and a user depresses the corresponding button, then the connection between connectors 31 and connectors 29 is disconnected). As to claims 10-14, the details of a touch key are claimed, however, as noted above, neither the touch key or mechanical key is positively recited in the claims. Therefore, the touch key or mechanical key are not actually part of the washing machine. Specifying the features of these keys are not explicitly part of the washing machine. For these reasons, claims 10-14 do not limit the scope of the claimed washing machine. Below, citation of USPN 10,534,405 is included to show application of both mechanical and touch keys at the same PCB location . Conclusion 07-96 AIA The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure : USPN 10,534,405 discloses a support structure including conductive paths and electronic device having the same, including a printed circuit board that may be implemented in a washing machine, the device comprising a touch screen that has a mechanical key 256 that includes, for example, a physical button, a touch key, an optical key, or a keypad, and also combines this with the use of a touch panel 252. Panel 262 can include a pressure sensor (or a force sensor) for measuring a pressure level of a user touch. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RITA P ADHLAKHA whose telephone number is (571)270-0378. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, 8-5pm EST. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael Barr can be reached at 571-272-1414. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /RITA P ADHLAKHA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1711 Application/Control Number: 18/785,383 Page 2 Art Unit: 1711 Application/Control Number: 18/785,383 Page 3 Art Unit: 1711 Application/Control Number: 18/785,383 Page 4 Art Unit: 1711 Application/Control Number: 18/785,383 Page 5 Art Unit: 1711 Application/Control Number: 18/785,383 Page 6 Art Unit: 1711
Prosecution Insights